Table game apparatus



Aug. 10, 1937. H. w. BJORKLUND I TABLE GAME APPARATUS Fi-led March 2, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 10, 1937. 1- w b ND 2,089,726

TABLE GAME APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 4' 0/ @ar/e/m g g- 1937- H. w. BJGRKLUND 2,089,726

TABLE GAME APPARATUS Filed March 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 30 v A... I

Patented Aug. 10, 1937 .JNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,750 In Sweden June 14, 1935 Claims.

This invention relates to a table game apparatus for enabling table football or similar games to be played comprising a game board on which a ball or other body is arranged to be moved and 6 a number of movable player members representing for example two opposing teams of football players which are adapted to be operated during play from opposite ends or sides of the board in such a manner that the player members effect the 10 movement of the ball in the desired directions. One object of the invention is to provide a simple and pleasant game apparatus enabling a play which imitates a real football or similar game. To this purpose one characteristic feature-of the invention is that the player members belonging to each side of the game are rigidly interconnected with one another so that they are displaced together in different directions, one or more of the interconnected members being adapt ed to cooperate with guiding or limiting means, adapted to prevent the members from moving beyond predetermined zones of the board.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of different constructional forms of the apparatus embodying the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are partial views.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figure 1 of a table football game apparatus adapted to be operated by two players, it will be seen that each player controls eleven player members, I I, l=, I and 2 2 2, 2 respectively which are distributed in rows over a game board 3 having edges, borders or walls 4, 5, 6 and I there being thus twenty-two player members in all. The eleven members of each team are rigidly interconnected with one another by means of suitable interconnections which may consist of rigid metal wires 8 and 9 but may also consist of bars, strips or the like. In this manner there is formed for the player members of each team an integral frame-work preferably provided with an operating handle l0, H or its equivalent. By displacing the frame-work by means of this handie in one direction or the other all the player members corresponding to one team will thus move uniformly.-

' The'object of the game is to operate the player members in such a manner as to cause a ball [2, a disc or other rolling or displaceable body to reach goal at the opposite side of the game board. This goal may be formed by an aperture in each of the walls 4 and 6 and is guarded by one of the player members, viz. the goal keeper member I and 2. Owing to the rigid interconnection between the player members of each team the movements of the members can easily be controlled and the game can be played with many variations without being diflicult for an unskilled person.

The range of movement of the frameworks is arranged to be limited so that the player members are each prevented from moving beyond a predetermined distance and for this purpose the frame-work of each team is arranged to cooperate with a suitable limiting device for instance consisting of fixed bars or frameworks I3, l4 adapted to limit the movement of one or more of the player members for instance, as shown, the backs l and 2 and thus naturally also limiting the movement of all remaining player members of the team. It will thus be seen that the player mem-' bers can only move within predetermined compartments or zones l5 of the game board the size of these zones being determined by the dimensions of the fixed frame-works l3, M. In Figure l the zones l5 are indicated in dotted lines but they need not be actually indicated on the, board.

It will be understood that if the player members are arranged as shown in positions corresponding to the normal positions of players in a real football game some of the zones, for in- I stance, those indicated at l6 will not be available to the player members and in order to overcome this disadvantage if the ball should enter any of the zones 16 the said portions of the gameboard may be arranged to be slightly inclined or curved upwardly so that the ball cannot remain in these zones but is caused to roll into one of the zones l5 within which the player members are located.

Y In the construction shown in Figure 1 the player members are formed in the simplest manner by bending the frame-work 8 or 9 itself, but these members may obviously be constituted by figures of card-board, sheet-metal or other suitable material or by dolls or the like. In order to ensure rigidity the frame-work 8, 9 may be reinforced by further interconnecting wires if desired.

The player members may be arranged to slide on the surface of the game board or can be suspended from the frame-works 8, 9 slightly above the surface of the board. In the latter case the frame-works are arranged to be supported by the walls or by another suitable support. If desired the player members and/or the frame-works may be covered by a sheet of rubber or other soft material to prevent noise.

The fixed limiting frame-works l3, l4 which limit the movements of the player members may be arranged otherwise than as above described, and any of the player members may be arranged to cooperate with these frame-works. limiting frame-works may also be provided outside, above or underneath the game board in which case the player frame-works 8, 9 are each provided with projections or the like cooperating with the limiting frame-works.

Figure 2 shows a partial view of another arrangement for limiting the movements of the player member frame-works consisting of pins I! or similar stops, arranged on the walls 4 and 5 and adapted to cooperate with the handle Ill and part of the frame-work 8 so as to limit the movement of the frame-work in the same manner as in the construction of Figure 1. According to Figure 3 which illustrates a similar'view, a loop member i8 is provided at the wall 6 to limit the movements of the handle ll. Rods I9, 20 can be provided above each goal in order to prevent unallowed raising of the frame-works 8, 9. In the construction shown in Figure 4 the frame-works 8, 9 are eachprovided with projections 8 8, 8,

8 and 9 9*, 9, 9' which limit the movements of the frame-works both longitudinally and transversely by engagement with the walls of the board so that the player members cannot move beyond the zones 15 described.-

In all cases a certain limitation of the movements is naturally effected by the engagement of the player members with the walls of the board.

Figure 5 discloses a further embodiment, according to which there are one player member I, 2 two player members i, 2 four player members l, 2 and four player members I 2 for each team respectively. The frame-works 2|, 22 are entirely arranged inside the walls so that only the handles 2h, 22 extend outside the gameboard. The curved or convexzones l6 are provided at the corners of the game-board and the frame-works are guided laterally by the walls, 5, I and by a pair of loops 23, 24 and longitudinally by a number of rods 25 (according to the drawing three rods) attached to the walls. An inclined threshold 26, 21 is provided in front of each goal in order to prevent the ball rolling out too quickly. A screen or net 28, 29 can be arranged behind the goal to prevent the ball to fall down from the game board.

Naturally any number of player members can -be provided, the invention not being limited to the use of a determined number of players.

Finally, Figure 6 illustrates a form of the game in which the player members of each team are divided in two separate groups, each group containing more player members which are rigidly interconnected and are adapted to be moved together in any direction in the horizontal plane, the movement being limited by frame-works or rods of the kind described. Thus, on one team of the illustrated game there are provided two groups A and A, the group A being arranged near the left goal and containing 2 players I and the goal keeper I. The group A contains two parallel rows of players I and I The players of group A are interconnected by means of a frame or a handle 30 provided with projections or-pins 3| adapted'to cooperate with the loop 32 to limit and guide movement of the frame 30 whilst the player members of group A are interconnected by means of a frame 33 associated with a handle 34 projecting through a loop 35 at the longitudinal wall 5. The movement of the group A is thus guided by the walls 5 and I and Similar 1 by the rods 25 and the loop 35. The groups B and B of the opposite team are arranged in a similar manner, the group B having a frame 36 with pins 31 cooperating with a loop 38 and the group 13 having a frame 39 associated with a handle 40 guided in a loop 4!.

Inclined or sloping pieces 42 similar to the thresholds 26, 21 can be arranged at the longitudinal walls 5, I to prevent the ball to rest near the walls.

The screens or plates 43, 44 outside the goals can be made removable.

It will be evident that the detail construction of the parts of the improved apparatus as hereinabove described for playing a football game may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the invention may be applied to other miniature outdoor and indoor games and to embodiments of other known table games. In certain cases the curved or convex zones l6 may be omitted.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- Y

1. Ina table game apparatus, the combination of a, base constituting a game board and adapted to receive a freely movable playing piece adapted to move freely over the board, two frameworks each rigidly connected to a plurality of player members constituting a team. and maintaining the space between the player members of a team invariable during the play, the said frameworks being movable transversely, longitudinally, diagonally or in any other direction in a plane substantially parallel to the said base, and guiding or limiting members co-operating with the combined rigid structure comprising the player members and said framework to limit the movement of all the player members of a team to a definite part or parts of the area of the base during the said movement of the frameworks rigidly interconnecting the player members.

2. In a table game apparatus, the combination of a base constituting a game board and adapted to receive a freely movable playing piece adapted to move freely over the board, two frameworks each rigidly connectedtoa plurality of player members constituting a team and maintaining the space between the player members of a team invariable .during the play, the said frameworks being movable transversely, longitudinally, diagonally or in any other direction in a plane substantially parallel to the said base, and at least one framework-partly or wholly surrounding a part or parts of the area of the base and co-operating with the combined rigid structure comprising the player members and said framework to limit the movement of all the player members of a team to the said part or parts of the area of the base during the said movement of the frameworks rigidly interconnecting the player members.

3. In a table game apparatus, the combination of a base constituting a game board and adapted to receive a freely movable playing piece adapted to move freely over the board, two frameworks each rigidly connected to a plurality of player members constituting a team, and maintaining the space between the player members of a team invariable during the play, the said frameworks being movable transversely, longitudinally, diagonally or in any other direction in a plane substantially parallel to the said base, and at least one stop member arranged at the edge of the game board and co-operating with the combined rigid structure comprising the player members and said framework to limit the movement of all the player members of a team to a definite part or parts of the area of the base during the said movement of the frameworks rigidly interconnecting the player members.

4. In a table game apparatus, the combination of a base constituting a game board and adapted to receive a freely movable playing piece adapted to move freely over the board, two frameworks each rigidly connected to a plurality of player members constituting a team and maintaining the space between the player members of a team invariable during the play, the said frameworks being movable transversely, longitudinally, diagonally or in any other direction in a plane substantially parallel to the said base, the combined rigid structure comprising the player members and the said framework being provided with projections co-operating with the edges of the game 20 board in order to limit the movement of all the player members of a team to a definite part or parts of the area of the base during the said movement of the frameworks rigidly intercon- I necting the player members.

5. In a table game apparatus, the combination of a base constituting a game board and adapted to receive a. freely movable playing piece adapted to move freely over the board, a plurality of frameworks each rigidly connected to a plurality of player members constituting a part of a team and maintaining the space between the player members of a part of a team invariable during the play, the said frameworks being movable transversely, longitudinally, diagonally or in any other direction in a plane substantially parallel to the said base, and guiding or limiting members cooperating with the combined rigid structure comprising the player members and said framework to limit the movement of all the player members of a team to a definite part or parts of the area of the base during the said movement of the frameworks rigidly interconnecting the player members.

HERBERT WILHELM BJtiRKLUND. 

